Expansible stopper



Jan. 16, 1951 J. L. WHITSEL 2,538,288

EXPANSIBLE STOPPER Filed May 29, 1948 INVENTO? JAMES LWHITSEL ATTORNEY.mum diameter.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 N I T ED STATE 5 PATENT *O-F-F [C E SIBLE STOPPERJames L. 'Whitsel, Denver, Colo.

Application May 29, 1948, 'Serial No. 29,994

8 Claims. 1 This invention relates to stoppers and plugs for bottles,jugs, drains, and the like, and more particularly to plugs employablefor the obstruction and closing of conventional waste lines leading fromsinks and lavatories, and has as an object to provide an improved suchunit oi enhanced efficiency.

A'further object of theinvention is to provide a removable andreplaceable, r'epetitiously-employable'plug or stopper selectivelyexpansibie to effectively illl and close an end of a cylindricalpassage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved stopper orplug selectively adjustable to alternative conditions of minimum, normaldiameter and maximum expanded diameter, wherebythe unit is adapted forfree, nonan improved construction and operative interrelation ofelements constituting a selectivelyexpansible stopper or plug.

'A'further objector the invention is to provide a 'selectivelyexp'ansible stopper or plug that is relatively simple and inexpensive ofmanufacture, positive and eilicient in use, convenient of operativemanipulation, adapted for production in a variety of sizes and specificembodiments fitted to particular needs, and durable throughout a longlifeof repetitious use.

With the foregoing and other objects'in view,

my invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointedout in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in .whichFigure 1 is .a cross section taken axially through .a simple embodimentof the invention in a relationship of elements productive of plug orstopper expansion. Figure 2 is a sections'imilar :to Figure lillustrating t-he relatively-movable-elements of the unit inanalternative position productive-of plug 'or stopper normal mini-Eigure ii is a top plan view sof the unit. Sh'OWIljiIlzthE precedingrfi'gures.v .Eigure 4 is a transverse section :takenaodt'he indicatedline 4-4 .of Figure .2. .Figure '5 is-a longitudinal :sectiontakensubstantially on the indicated line 55 of Figure '3.

In the construction of the improvement as :shown, the numeral IDdesignates a circular :plateor'disc of any suitable strong, rigidmaterial, .suchtas metal, whichconstitutes the top of the stopper orplug unit :and is hence sized to a diameter exceeding that of thepassage or channel "wherewith the unit is to cooperate so thatperipheral 'areas' of the member I0 may engage against and lap 'overupon the end marginof rsuch passage or channel. A relatively thick,anlnular skirt H of reslliently-yieldable material having a highfrictional "coefficient, such as rubiber, is :provided in -a normalexterior diameter that engaged by the skirt H and bridges dia-;metricallyoi saidmember ID to provide a lifting and manipulatingfacility in clearing relation with the central portion of said member,for reasons which will hereinafter appear.

The end of the skirt I l remote from the mem- "ber I0 is symmetricallyhollowed and recessed to frusto-conical form and to taper in inwardconvergensctowardthe member [0, forming a thin, "highly-flexible,circular edge or margin constituting the free end of said skirt, and to.intersectwith the cylindrical inner wall of said skirt on 'a planespaced substantially from the member Ill, and a correspondinglyfrusto-conical block 13 of rigid material, such as metal, is formeditoran'axial dimension less than the axial depth of the skirt taperedrecess and to diametric dimensions such as .will permit engagement ofthe block thickness within the outer end of the :skirt tapered recesswithout distortion of .the normal cylindrical conformation of saidskirt, the conical'surfaces of said block and skirt .recess beincorrespondingly inclined for close engagement. A stem [4 is fixed in andaxially of the-block 13 to extend beyond and in perpenicular relationwiththe lesserdiameter end of said block through a hole formed for itsaccommodation centrally of the .member l i], the length .of ;said stem44. :being sufficient to traverse the axial length of the unit withprojection of its :upper.endtaboveetheemember [.0 when the block 13 :iswhollydisengaged from the tapered recess of the skirt II, as shown inFigure 2, and a retractile coil spring I5 surrounds the stem I4 betweenthe member Ill and block I3 and is fixed at its appropriate ends to saidblock and member to normally draw the block I3 inwardly of the skirt IItapered recess with consequent diametric expansion of the skirt taperedwalls, in the manner exemplified by Figure 1; such retraction of theblock I3 inwardly of the skirt II projecting the free end of the stem I4upwardly relative to the plate I within the oscillatory orbit of thebail I2.

It being expedient to provide means for retaining the block I3 againstthe tension of the spring I5 in separated, non-expanding relation withthe skirt II, a centrally-apertured, cylindrical insert I6, of rigidmaterial, such as metal, is fitted and secured within the cylindricalbase portion of the skirt I I interior against the member It and inloosely-embracing relation with the spring I5, said insert It having anaxial depth corresponding to the travel range desired for the block IS,and a succession of radial notches I'I, illustrated as six in number,intersect the insert IS in a uniform angular spacing to open through theface of said insert remote from the member I6 and hence toward the blockIS. A series of pins I8 corresponding in number with the slots II isfixed to and rises perpendicularly from the lesser diameter face of andconcentrically with the block IS in a uniformity of angular spacingabout the stem Id such as positions each of the pins in said series fortelescopic engagement of its upper end within one of the notches I! whenthe block I3 is rotated relative to the insert It to bring said pinsinto registration with said notches. The pins I 8 spacedly parallel thestem It; and

'are alike in length in a dimension adequate to space the block I3 inseparated, non-expanding relation with the skirt I I when said pin freeends are engaged with lower face areas of the insert I6 between thenotchs II, and to permit full expanding engagement of the block I3within the skirt II when said pin free ends slidably enter 'saidnotches, whereby said block may be held against the tension of thespring I5 out of ex-- panding engagement with the skirt II in oneposition of relative rotation between said block and the insert I5,while in another position of? such relative rotation the spring I5 isfree to act on and through the block it for expanding engagement of thelatter within said skirt. To facilitate manipulation of the relativelyadjustable unit elements, a radially-disposed finger I9 is fixed to theupper end of the stem I5 in position to spacedly overlie the member III,and one end of said finger I9 is formed as an indicator adapted toregister with one or another of three marks 2s formed on the upper faceand adjacent the periphery of said member. As will be obvious, thecenter one of the three marks indicates a position of finger I9, stemI4, and block I3 relative rotation wherein the pins I8 engage end facesof the insert it to hold said block in separated relation with the skirtII, while the outermost marks 28 denote alternative, operatively- 4 mentof the pins I3 from their notches Il may be effected against the tensionof the spring I5 and subsequent rotation of the stem I4, block I3, andpins It may be had relative to the insert I6 for registration of the pinfree ends with and to bear against end faces of said insert.

In the practical use of the improvement, the bail I2 is engaged by thefingers and pressure is applied through thumb or finger to the elementI9 and thence through the stem I4 to depress said stem with its block I3and pins I8 against the tension of the spring I5 and away from thememher It until the ends of the pins I8 clear their notches I'I,whereafter the element I9 is manually rotated to registration with thecenter one of the marks 29 and the pressure on said element is relievedto permit end abutment of the pins I8 against the insert I 6 faceswherewith they are in registration, thus leaving the unit in therelationship of elements shown by Figure 2 wherein the spring I5 isextended and the block I3 is spaced from the skirt II to leave thelatter in a normal, cylindrical condition of non-expansion. With theunit in normal, unexpanded condition of its skirt I I, said skirt isinserted and telescoped within the end of the passage or channel to beplugged, projecting margins of the member III ci --ing over the annularend of such passage or channel, and thereafter slight pressure ismanually applied to the finger It to slightly extend the spring I 5 andclear the pins I8 relative to the insert faces, so that a slightsubsequent rotation of the finger IE to registration with one or theother of the outermost marks 2! followed by release of pressure actingon said finger permits contraction of the spring I5 to draw the block ISwith expansive effect upwardly within the skirt I I while the free endsof the pins I8 slidably engage within the notches I'I; suchblock-induced expansion of the skirt II wedging the resilient walls ofthe latter into close, tight, frictional engagement with the passage orchannel. vVhile certain minimum leakage may occur through the hole inthe member IQ about the stem I l, it is to be noted that the block I3itself seals against the tapered walls of the skirt recess and therebycloses off any channel through which leakage of consequence may occurwhen the unit is employed as a sink or lavatory drain plug.

Since many changes, variations, and modifications in the specific form,construction, and. arrangement of the elements shown and described maybe had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to beunderstood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims,rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoingdescription.

I claim as my invention:

1. An expansible stopper of the character described, comprising a rigidend plate, an annular skirt of resilient material fixed at one end toand concentrically of a face of said plate, an inwardly-converging,frusto-conioal recess in the end of said skirt remote from said plate, arigid, frusto-conical block coacting within and shif able axially ofsaid recess, a retractile spring interconnecting opposed faces of saidplate and block interiorly of said skirt to normally draw the latterinto skirt-expanding relation within said recess, and means interiorlyof said skirt responsive to axial and rotational shift of said blockrelative to said skirt for holding said block against the tension ofsaid spring in separated relation with said skirt and recess.

2. An expansible stopper of the character de- 5 scribed, comprising anannular skirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging,coaxial, frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends, a rigid,frusto-conical block coacting Within and shiftable axially of saidrecess, spring means interiorly of said skirt engaging said block tonormally draw the latter into skirt-em panding relation within saidrecess, and means interiorly of said skirt responsive to axial androtational shift of said block relative to said skirt for holding saidblock against the-tension of said spring means in separated relationwith said skirt and recess. 7 i

3. An expansible stopper of the character described, comprising anannular skirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging,coaxial, frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends, a rigidplate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of said skirt remotefrom said recess, a rigid, frusto-conical block coacting within andshiftable axially of said recess, spring means interiorly of said skirtengaging between said block and plate to normally draw the former intoskirt-expanding relation within said recess, and complementary elementswithin said skirt reactive to axial shift and rotation of said blockrelative to said skirt for holding said block against the tension ofsaid spring means in separated relation with said skirt and recess.

4. The organization according to claim 3, wherein said block fixedlycarries an axiallyprojecting stem slidably and rotatably traversing saidplate, and said spring means comprises a retractile coil spring fixed atappropriate ends to said block and plate in surrounding relation withsaid stem.

5. The organization according to claim 3, wherein said block fixedlycarries an axiallyprojecting stem slidably and rotatably traversing andprojecting outwardly beyond said plate furnished with a manipulatingfinger fixed to and radially of its end remote from said block, and saidcomplementary elements comprise an annular spacer insert fixed to saidplate within said skirt, angularly-spaced notches radially interruptingthe face of said insert opposed to said block, and angularly-spaced,like pins fixedly outstanding from the inner face of said block inspaced parallelism with said stem for engagement of their free endsslidably within said notches and alternatively against face areas ofsaid insert between said notches as determined by rotational adjustmentof said block relative to said skirt.

6. In an expansible stopper of the character described having an annularskirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging, coaxial,frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends and a rigid,frusto-conical block coacting within and shiftable axially of saidrecess, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of saidskirt remote from said recess, a retractile coil spring fixedlyinterconnecting opposed faces of said block and plate interiorly of saidskirt to normally draw the former into skirt-expanding relation withinsaid recess, and

cess, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of saidskirt remote from said recess, a stem fixedly projecting axially fromsaid block slidably and rotatably engaging through said plate, aretractile coil spring fixed at its appropriate ends to opposed faces ofsaid block and plate interiorly of said skirt in surrounding relationwith said stem, and complementary elements within said skirt reactive torotation and axial shift of said block relative to said skirt forholding said block against the tension of said spring in separatedrelation with said skirt and recess.

8. In an expansible stopper of the character described having an annularskirt of resilient material formed with an inwardly-converging, coaxial,frusto-conical recess opening through one of its ends and a rigid,frusto-conical block coacting within and shiftable axially of saidrecess, a rigid plate fixedly and concentrically closing the end of saidskirt remote from said recess, a stem fixedly projecting axially fromsaid block slidably and rotatably engaging through said plate, aretractile coil spring fixed at its appropriate ends to opposed faces ofsaid block and plate in surrounding relation with said stem to normallydraw said block into skirt-expanding relation within said recess and toproject the stem end outwardly beyond said plate, a manipulating fingerfixed to and radially of the stem end remote from said block, an annularspacer insert fixed to said plate within said-skirt, angularly-spacednotches radially interrupting the face of said insert opposed to saidblock, and angularly-spaced, like pins fixedly outstanding from theinner face of said block in spaced parallelism with said stem forengagement of their free ends slidably Within said notches andalternatively against face areas of said insert between said notches asdetermined by rotational and axial adjustment of said block relative tothe skirt through the agency of said stem and finger.

JAMES L. WHITSEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 238,726 Sponsler Mar. 8, 18812,199,964 Rook May 7, 1940

